ALBANY — Through the window of a Partridge Street home on a June 2018 night, police officer Elston Mackey could see the body of a woman. She was bleeding from her head, face and neck, collapsed on the floor.

As he and another officer tried to get into the home to help the woman, Schuyler Lake, 20, emerged at the top of the staircase holding a knife.

"Put the knife down! Drop it!" Mackey yelled at Lake, recorded in body camera footage released by the Albany County District Attorney's office. "Drop the knife! Drop the knife! Drop the knife!"

Lake ignored the command. Instead, he descended the stairs to the woman, his mother, and began to stab her again.

Mackey pulled out his baton, broke the glass pane of the door, stuck his hand through, and fired several shots. Lake, who was hit by the bullets, died at the scene, ending an onslaught that left his mother and an uncle with stab wounds.

Had Mackey not fired the shots, "You'd have two people who would not be with us today," District Attorney David Soares said in the months following the incident. "Officer Mackey is a hero in the eyes of members of this organization and should be a hero in the eyes of the public as well."

Mackey was recognized for his actions this week by being awarded a Combat Cross, which is given to an officer who performs an act of heroism while faced with an armed person that is an imminent threat to someone's life.

"Officer Mackey is a hero," former Albany Police Chief Bob Sears, who lead the department at the time of the incident, tweeted after Tuesday night's Albany Police Department's awards ceremony. "He did a great job that night. Didn't hesitate and saved a life."

Mackey had only been with the Albany Police Department for two years, when he and officer Derrick Ellis were called to 61 Partridge Street around 11:30 p.m. on June, 22, 2018, for someone with a weapon.

When they arrived, they found Lake's 52-year-old mother in a pool of blood. Police would later find a second stabbing victim, Lake's 55-year-old uncle.

When Lake proceeded to stab his mother more Mackey fired 15 shots. Lake died at the scene.

Lake's uncle and mother were taken to the hospital and survived.

Per protocol, an internal investigation was conducted to determine if Mackey's use of deadly force were justified, which the department quickly came to a conclusion that they where. An Albany County grand jury also cleared Mackey of criminal wrongdoing in the incident.

"The actions of the officers saved that woman's life last night," Sears said the morning after the incident.

Also at Tuesday's award ceremony the Albany Police Department recognized other officers "for their hard work, bravery and dedication in 2018."

Police Officer of the Year was awarded to Joseph Lynch, Detective of the Year was Robert Lawyer, Supervisor of the Year was Lou Aiossa, Non-Sworn Employee of the Year was Bridget Pardo, and Telecommunications Specialist of the Year was Christina Collucio.